Rehearsals

Rehearsing and choir etiquette is an essential part of any choir’s success and it’s important that each member takes responsibility for their own actions. Try to :

Sometimes life prevent us from attending rehearsals. Your child minder lets you down, you catch Covid, work gets in the way, you’re on holiday, etc. But as with most choirs we expect regular attendance at rehearsals. If you do need to miss practice, try to make sure you get up to speed on what you missed.

But rehearsals are also about having fun and we are lucky to have such an inspirational and entertaining musical director. So above all else – have fun, enjoy yourself – and remember to laugh at John’s jokes!

On the day of the concert

Rehearsal

Our rehearsal on the day of the concert is held at the Cathedral and usually starts at 1.30pm. Exact timings are confirmed at the last Wednesday rehearsal.

Seating

The concert staging is a different shape and size to our usual rehearsal space. A seating plan is created for each performance. Please know which row you are seated in and make sure you are in your seat by 1.20pm. We do our best to seat everyone in their preferred spot or next to their usual singing companions. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, and you may find that you have to sit beside different people; please be flexible.

If you are unable to attend the afternoon rehearsal please make sure to tell the Secretary so that a seat can be reserved for you for the performance. Likewise, if you planned to sing in a concert and then find you are unable to do so, please let the Secretary know so that the seating can be adjusted.

Refreshments

There are no toilets or refreshment facilities in the cathedral. If you need water or other refreshment during the rehearsal please bring your own. We can only provide rehearsal interval refreshments for the orchestra and soloists. Public toilets are available close to the cathedral.

Concert Dress

The purpose of our choir concert dress code is to project a smart and uniform image. We want the audience to focus on the music, not our appearance.

Concert dress should be as follows:

• Men: Dinner Jacket, black trousers, white shirt, bowtie and smart black shoes.
• Women: Ankle length black dress or skirt, or formal black trousers, and smart black shoes. Dresses and tops should be long-sleeved, i.e. well below elbow length.

The cathedral can get cold in winter but please do not wear bulky knitwear, coats, or ponchos on stage. Keep warm by adding layers under your concert dress.

Jewellery should be discreet and try to avoid excessive use of hair spray, aftershave and perfume as these may trigger allergies

Accessories

All members should have a RCS black folder for their music unless otherwise instructed. These are available for purchase from the Secretary for £8.

Filing on and off the stage

Concerts normally start at 7.30pm. Please be in the cathedral ready to line up by 7.15pm. You’ll need to memorise your place and your neighbours so you know where to stand in the pre-concert line-up. We file on from both sides of the cathedral in an orderly fashion and then remain standing until all singers are on stage. We will receive a signal from the front so that we can all sit together. While seated, conversations should be discreet and limited to immediate neighbours. We are now in performance mode, so no waving at friends or family – however tempting! We stand together when the conductor and soloists enter.

At the start of the interval we stand as directed and file off in an orderly manner in reverse order, starting from the front. During the interval you are free to socialise with family and friends. At the end of the interval we line up as before ready to file on to the stage.

Stands and sits will be given out during the last couple of rehearsals and should be marked in your score. But during the performance please watch for the conductor’s signal so that we stand and sit together, quietly. Please do not talk to your neighbour in between movements.

At the end of every movement please stand still with your score open, until the conductor’s baton is lowered (i.e. do not turn pages until then).

At the end of the performance remain standing until the conductor and soloists leave the stage. We then sit and applaud the soloists. We do not applaud while standing.

Please remember that the choir is on show and the performance starts the moment we file on stage, and only ends once we have filed off.

Music

At the end of the concert please comply with the librarian’s instructions for the return of music into the appropriate boxes. Anyone failing to return a hired score promptly may be charged a fee.